Dad and son sleeping in same tent on campouts

[Bill_Draving]

1. Are there any quidelines?

2. Is is good that dad's share the scout experience

3. Is there any Scout requirement that says a soon can not sleep with his dad?

4. Why would I send my young son off alone to sleep with an older boy who wants to teach all his friends about the facts of life?

I am looking for any quidelines or suggestions on this topoic.

Great forum. I'll be back ....

[wagionvigil]

Yes and no. Unless the dad was registered with the troop they did not attend the activity.
All registered adults did not and were not allowed to attend all activities. I did everything three deep on most activities sometimes I added 1 or 2.

If you have a problem with the 17 year old leadership and a 10 year old scout it is time to change the program .

You need to let the young scout get away from mom and dad and interact more. I hate to be at an activity and see these young scouts tagging along with mom and dad and not with the other scouts.

My son never slept in the same tent as myself always with a friend. His first year in scouts he attended Rocky Mountain Scout Camp at Philmont while his mom and I attended training.

[cballman]

well if you look in the G2SS a 17 year old is not allowed to tent with a 10 year old. the age difference should at the most be 2 years. our troop has group of kids in each age group they are called patrols for a reason. they tent together, cook together and hopefully learn together. we also have a adult patrol to help the leaders stay away from their sons at a campout. I as an ASM will roam the campsite and watch over the group but if i see something wrong I try to find the SPL and have them work out the problem. but for my son to sleep in the same tent as I no way he is a messy child.

[vpalango]

1. Are there any quidelines?

2. Is is good that dad's share the scout experience

3. Is there any Scout requirement that says a soon can not sleep with his dad?

4. Why would I send my young son off alone to sleep with an older boy who wants to teach all his friends about the facts of life?

I am looking for any quidelines or suggestions on this topoic.

Great forum. I'll be back ....

1) A parent is "allowed" to sleep in the same tent with his son according to the guidelines set out in YPT, and in fact this is the only case where an adult should share a tent with a boy.

2) As a dad who shares the scout experience with his son, I certainly feel it's good to share the experience. However, it is a very careful road to travel for the Dad. (more below)

3) No, there's no "requirement" I know of which prohibits a scout from sleeping in a tent with his dad.

4) Already answered in other places in the thread. Acording to the G2SS, you shouldn't tent boys together with more than 2 years separation in age.

Now.... The difficulty in "sharing" the scouting experience with your son is taking away from him what the scouting experience is. One of the biggest gains in the outdoor program is the sense of self reliance that the boys gain by living with thier patrols, on thier own, without mom/dad. I'm an ASM in our troop, and make a point to NOT interfere with my son's camping experience, and do as little "dad mode" as possible. I also make sure that I take a couple of campouts off per year, where my son still goes, so that he gets the experience of camping without dad.

On the flip side... we've had success in the troop with younger boys, who have suffered from homesickness, to have dad come along, sleep in the same tent at first, and then wean them off having a parent there all the time.

Your mileage will of course vary!

[Chief J]

Previous posters have already provided the correct answer, but I would like to add my 2 cents worth.

As the SM, I tell the parents when kids come in, that scouts tent with scouts, and adults with adults.

When we get ready to go camping, Again I inform the parents that scouts sleep with scouts and adults with adults, just as a reminder and it has worked well.

We will never allow a Scout to sleep with an adult who is not his parent or leagal guardian. As a matter of fact, we don't even allow scouts in the adults tents ever.

With the exception of summer camp, most of my scouts (young and old alike) prefer to bring their own tents and have their own space on weekend camping trips. These tents are organized by patrol and the scouts cook and train together as well.

Chief J

[OldGreyBear]

Wagion, are you saying that you would prohibit unregistered parents from attending a campout?

[wagionvigil]

I always gave them a choice to register or not. If they did not they were last to be on a campout. ALso they do not count in the two deep leadership unless they are registered. They are not covered under BSA liability etc etc. they were usually a burden. Just me and 35 years of dealing with parents at school.
We always did at least two parent and scout weekends so they could take mom on one and dad on the other

[PaulSWolf]

4) Already answered in other places in the thread. Acording to the G2SS, you shouldn't tent boys together with more than 2 years separation in age.

Can you provide a quote for that? Sounds like an "Scouting Urban Legend." I've never seen anything in the G2SS other than no person over 18 can share a tent with someone under 18. It's definitely NOT in the section entitled "Barriers to Abuse Within Scouting"

Also they do not count in the two deep leadership unless they are registered.

I disagree with that statement, too. The G2SS specifically says

Two-deep leadership:
Two registered adult leaders, or one registered adult and a parent of a participating Scout, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips or outings.

[WVBeaver05]

I agree with Paul on this. I haven't searched G2SS, but I don't recall the restriction on 2 years age separation. Same for 2 deep.

Now wagionvigil, I can certainly relate to no allowing unregistered adults, but I think I read somewhere (not sure where, may or may not find the reference) that Scouting is always open to parents. I would even prefer to require adult leaders to complete SM training before they sign off on requirements, but I don't know how to do it without putting them off.

YiS

[FrankJ]

1) Yes there are guide lines. Guide to Safe Scouting (G2SS) is the primary one and must be followed by all. The Scout handbook is another. Scout Oath & Law. The trained scout master & assistant masters together probally have years of experience camping.

2) It is good to share the scout experience. Most Eagles have had a parent involved in the program. The parent be careful to allow enough distance to allow the scout to grow & learn on his own.

3) A scout can sleep with his parents. In the normal course of events the scout should be sleeping with his patrol. This is one of the tools of scouting.

4) As peer groups go, I think you will generally find scouts to be a good influence. As a policy hazing is not allowed in scouting.

[WVBeaver05]

Now, back to the question --

While a Scout sleeping with his father (or parent or legal guardian) is allowed, I would (and do) discourage it. I have seen some parents who want it this way, but given the opportunity to sleep with the other Youth, all of our Scouts have chosen to do so (at the Boy Scout level, not Cub Scout family camp or even Webelos).

My personal opinion is that it is good experience for the Scouts, that they learn from it, and, more importantly, that they feel more responsible/trusted/etc.

YiS

[wagionvigil]

I have found that camping weekends go smoother without alot of adults. Sorry Personal Experience. SCouting should involve parents,to a point,
WE are not Cubs any more.
I guess also I am just an old schooler

[vpalango]

4) Already answered in other places in the thread. Acording to the G2SS, you shouldn't tent boys together with more than 2 years separation in age.

Can you provide a quote for that? Sounds like an "Scouting Urban Legend." I've never seen anything in the G2SS other than no person over 18 can share a tent with someone under 18. It's definitely NOT in the section entitled "Barriers to Abuse Within Scouting"

Also they do not count in the two deep leadership unless they are registered.

I disagree with that statement, too. The G2SS specifically says

Two-deep leadership:
Two registered adult leaders, or one registered adult and a parent of a participating Scout, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips or outings.

I was actually quoting from earlier in the thread, so I may have been caught in the legend at this point, so I witdraw my G2SS comment until I research it more thoroughly. (I do think the 2 year limitiation is a good guideline however for older/younger boys in a tent).

[ASM-142]

I always gave them a choice to register or not. If they did not they were last to be on a campout. ALso they do not count in the two deep leadership unless they are registered. They are not covered under BSA liability etc etc. they were usually a burden. Just me and 35 years of dealing with parents at school.
We always did at least two parent and scout weekends so they could take mom on one and dad on the other

Limiting adults who can go camping just on being registered is wrong. For one thing the BSA is open to all parents and this includes camping. Secondly, a lot of parents are very capable and at times more qualified then registered leaders but do not have the "time" to commit to scouting as a registered adult but still would like to participate when they are available.

[wagionvigil]

We all have our opinions and this one is mine. I am not violating any BSA policies. I Think if everyone would read through the 5 year cub scout thread it may help see where I am coming from.

I can truthfully say that this is a recent thing in this area. And I am sure it is a result of the Cub Program.Parents never even asked to go until recently.

[deweylure]

A scout at eighteen is considered an adult therefore he can not share a tent with a scout under 18.

Last year at summer camp my son had to share my tent after his was destroyed in a bad storm. I will bring a spare tent from now on

Deweylure

[EagleBoy62204]

Unless the dad was registered with the troop they did not attend the activity.
All registered adults did not and were not allowed to attend all activities. I did everything three deep on most activities sometimes I added 1 or 2.

Thats the same rule as in our troop. Unless you are registered in the troop as an adult, you are not allowed to be camping with our boys.

To similar posters, we also have the rule, scouts bunk with scouts, and adults bunk with adults. However, in our troop once you are 13 and first class, you have the option of bringing your own tent and bunking alone if you wish. This isnt the case for summer camp, where if theres an even number of scouts everyone is bunking together. The odd man out or SPL will have the option of bunking alone.

We try to partner the boys up with their friends most of the times, its a good thing that in our troop some of our 3rd years (13 -14yrs old) are helping out with the first year program, so they are used to the first years and have no problems bunking with them.

The only time i bunked with someone younger than me was my brother. Hes 12 and im 19, i really dont like bunking with someone that young, but it was his first campout and knew NOBODY.

[Lynda J]

Though we can not keep a parent form attending Scouting events. (Except in the case of criminal background cases) We have a parent that has an extensive criminal background including many drug charges. I checked with Council Legal and was told that under no condition was I to let them go on any overnight activity. I do not want to many adults.
If you get to many adults suddenly the adults are wanting to do all the work. I work best when we have no more than 4 adults. We do our own cooking, set up our own camp area. It is the boys responsibility to take care of unloading the trailer, and setting up the base camp. This is done first before personal tents are set up. (Unless it looks like the skys are getting ready to open up and dump water on us). But to many adults just gets to be a mess. We do one camping trip a year where all adults are welcome to come. But it is made very clear that the adults do not interfer with the program the boys have planned.

[OldGreyBear]

Its great to have differing opinions and have the ability to express them but if any of the troops that bar unregistered parents from going on campouts think they are presenting the BSA program as written, then they are just deluding themselves.

What if a non-registered parent wanted to go on a Campout and you said no, and then they saw in the literature that scouting was open to all parents at all times? When you get the call from your District Chair. Commissioner, etc. telling you you have to accept the non-registered adult, then what? Why not seize the opportunity to recruit a new ASM or COmmittee member?

So many units make scouting a land of Can'ts instead of Cans...


Linda you snuck in as I was posting, In the troop I associate with and gladly serve its usually unusual if we have less than 10 adults along with 20 -30 youth. We have never seen it as anything less than an embarrasment of riches. The parents, not all of whom are registered, let the troop operate and all have a good time, I know they have a good time because they keep comming back. I cant tell you how many advancement chairs we have recruited this way, people who couldnt make every campout but loved the fellowship and espirt de corps of the adults. WHy anyone would limit the fun of scouting is beyond my comprehension

[vpalango]

I always gave them a choice to register or not. If they did not they were last to be on a campout. ALso they do not count in the two deep leadership unless they are registered. They are not covered under BSA liability etc etc. they were usually a burden. Just me and 35 years of dealing with parents at school.
We always did at least two parent and scout weekends so they could take mom on one and dad on the other

Limiting adults who can go camping just on being registered is wrong. For one thing the BSA is open to all parents and this includes camping. Secondly, a lot of parents are very capable and at times more qualified then registered leaders but do not have the "time" to commit to scouting as a registered adult but still would like to participate when they are available.

One issue that can lead toward needing registered adults is not strictly a BSA policy, but rather a camp policy. I have experienced some BSA camps that now require all adults staying overnight with a troop be registered adults.